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MIPT biophysicists study structure and interaction of nanofibrous scaffold with cardiac cells

Biophysicists from MIPT have studied the structure of a nanofibrous scaffold, as well as its interaction with rat cardiac cells.

2 Mar 2018

Scientists decode molecular structure of healthy huntingtin protein

Mutations on a single gene, the huntingtin gene, are the cause of Huntington's disease. They lead to an incorrect form of the correspondent protein.

22 Feb 2018

Researchers identify new nanostructure inside sperm tails

Human sperms are incredibly important for our reproduction. It would therefore be easy to assume that we have detailed knowledge of their appearance. However, an international team of researchers has now identified a completely new nanostructure inside sperm tails, thanks to the use of cryo-electron tomography.

21 Feb 2018

Researchers aim to decipher molecular architecture of microtubule-organizing centers

Cell division is an intricately choreographed ballet of proteins and molecules that divide the cell. During mitosis, microtubule-organizing centers assemble the spindle fibers that separate the copying chromosomes of DNA.

20 Feb 2018

Scientists visualize insulin receptor activation for the first time

As we are approaching the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, a wide array of its signaling pathways has been defined.

20 Feb 2018

Scientists uncover the structure of microtubule motor proteins

Researchers from The Scripps Research Institute have discovered new information about how motor proteins called dyneins interact with another protein called dynactin to transport molecules to different parts of a cell.

12 Feb 2018

DNA plays unexpected architectural role in shaping cells, study finds

As a basic unit of life, the cell is one of the most carefully studied components of all living organisms. Yet details on basic processes such as how cells are shaped have remained a mystery.

8 Feb 2018

Researchers fabricate artificial device mimicking blood-brain barrier

Researchers at IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia fabricated an artificial device reproducing a 1:1 scale model of the blood-brain barrier, the anatomical and functional structure that protects the central nervous system from external substances, such as contaminants, but also drugs when they are injected intravenously into the body.

8 Feb 2018

IU scientists take important step to fight against hepatitis B with 'virus-cracking' molecules

Indiana University researchers have made an important step forward in the design of drugs that fight the hepatitis B virus, which can cause liver failure and liver cancer.

7 Feb 2018

Microscope technology reveals full-length serotonin receptor structure for first time

A team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have used Nobel prize-winning microscope technology to see full-length serotonin receptors for the first time.

6 Feb 2018

Super-resolution microscopy provides insights into cells' amazing flexibility

One of today's sharpest imaging tools, super-resolution microscopy, produces sparkling images of what until now has been the blurry interior of cells, detailing not only the cell's internal organs and skeleton, but also providing insights into cells' amazing flexibility.

31 Jan 2018

Long-term intake of sunflower, fish oils affects the liver

An international group of scientists led by the University of Granada (UGR) has demonstrated that the long-term intake of sunflower or fish oils damages the liver and can cause a series of alterations in it, giving rise to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

31 Jan 2018

Scientists discover direct physical contact between two key cellular structures

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that two key cellular structures, called mitochondria and lysosomes, come into direct contact with each other in the cell to regulate their respective functions.

27 Jan 2018

Repurposed drug effectively protects against Zika virus in mouse models

In both cell cultures and mouse models, a drug used to treat Hepatitis C effectively protected and rescued neural cells infected by the Zika virus -- and blocked transmission of the virus to mouse fetuses.

25 Jan 2018

BIST researchers develop new retinal prosthesis to address visual degeneration

A healthy retina contains photoreceptor cells that convert light changes into nerve impulses, which are then carried along the optic nerve to the brain, where they are decoded into images. Diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa cause the photoreceptor cells to stop functioning, while the rest of the eye remains healthy.

24 Jan 2018

UCLA researchers describe herpes virus structure associated with Kaposi's sarcoma

UCLA researchers have provided the first description of the structure of the herpes virus associated with Kaposi's sarcoma, a type of cancer.

19 Jan 2018

Study identifies how excess fat disrupts heart cells' ability to produce energy

A University of Iowa study has identified how excess fat in the heart, a common feature in diabetes and obesity, can harm the cells' essential ability to produce energy.

5 Jan 2018

Newly solved glucagon receptor structure provides most accurate template for drug design

Class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) exert essential action in hormonal homeostasis and are important therapeutic targets for a variety of diseases including metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes.

4 Jan 2018

Researchers use Nobel prize-winning technology to zoom in and see vital kidney protein

Researchers have applied Nobel prize-winning microscope technology to uncover an ion channel structure that could lead to new treatments for kidney stones.

3 Jan 2018

$Common drugs to prevent osteoporotic fractures lead to mineralization of bone cells$

Common drugs to prevent osteoporotic fractures lead to mineralization of bone cells

A study at Sahlgrenska Academy, Sweden, has found that one of the most common medications to prevent osteoporitic fractures gives rise to previously unknown mineralization of bone cells. The discovery may be important for understanding the effect of medication on bone quality.

2 Jan 2018